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Legoland Florida, a new theme park in Polk County set to open next month, has sidestepped government oversight concerning the safety of its rides, due to a 22-year-old statute, according to reports. The law has provided immunity to Disney World and other large amusement parks in the state, allowing them to staff in-house safety inspectors and regulate themselves. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will step in to regulate only if Legoland staffs fewer than 1,000 employees at any time.
Park officials claim the park’s inspections will surpass what the state would perform, or even could perform. It would seem to be in the park’s best interests to adopt strict safety standards, as reports of injured guests could be bad for business. Yet, this is only a concern for the park if injuries are reported. One prominent personal injury lawyer in California, questioned Florida’s voluntary reporting requirements in anOrlando Sentinel article. There may be many more amusement park injuries than what’s reported, he says. Unfortunately, there may be no way to verify or disprove that claim without stricter laws.
Anyone injured on a Florida amusement park ride should contact apersonal injury attorney. A common misconception about theme park accidents is that if the victims have signed a waiver, they have no legal recourse. This is not always the case. If the amusement park was negligent and that contributed to a guest’s injuries, the park may be liable, regardless of what was signed. If a victim pursues legal action, it has the added benefit of holding the park accountable where the law may not. Contact us for a risk-free, no-cost case evaluation.
Learn more about dangerous amusement park rides here.